Over 2,300 current and former employees of 16 McDonald’s franchisee locations in Pennsylvania claim that requiring the use of payroll debit cards to get paid violates the Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law (WPCL),...more

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (the Department) has been issuing guidance explaining the 2014 corporate tax reform legislation (generally effective on January 1, 2015) through a series of questions and...more

Governor Haslam's Administration has very recently proposed far-reaching amendments to Tennessee's tax laws. These proposed amendments are included in Senate Bill 603/House Bill 644, known as the Revenue Modernization Act...more

On February 17, 2015, Saladworks, LLC filed a chapter 11 bankruptcy case in Delaware. The case has been docketed as case no. 15-10327 and has been assigned to The Honorable Laurie Selber Silverstein....more

While most of the private equity and public offering activity of franchise companies focuses on franchise brands and systems, every now and then a large, multi-unit franchisee will go public or seek private equity financing....more

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is requesting comments from the public on all aspects of its franchise lending program. The SBA issued its notice and request for comment December 8, 2014....more

In the last year, private equity continued to play an important role in franchising. Private equity offers a franchisor with a growing franchise system a promising pathway to rapid growth. An investment group can assist a...more

On Monday, May 29, 2014, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved Sbarro LLC’s plan of reorganization, paving the way for the pizza restaurant chain to exit bankruptcy. Sbarro filed...more

The M&A market is very strong for franchisor and large multi-unit franchisees of scale today – good news for those looking for a sale or growth capital. What key factors drive investor demand? How should investors be thinking...more

Lawyers typically view the accountant’s role in franchising to be mainly auditing the franchisor’s financial statements and consenting to their use in the FDD. But accountants can play other valuable roles, from developing...more

In recent years, the topic of "brand versus independent" has become increasingly popular. Every industry conference has a panel titled the same, numerous articles - and blogs - are being written on the topic by every...more

Former Chapel Hill Tutor Indicted in Sports Agent Investigation
by Anthony Caruso on October 7, 2013
A former UNC-Chapel Hill tutor who worked closely with Tar Heels football players has been indicted on charges of...more

The global recession has been challenging for most of us. However, one of the silver linings of the global recession is that certain franchisors are focusing on immigrants as franchisees. If you have the funds, and you meet...more

The good news for franchising is the economy is coming back. Hit hard by the 2008 economic recession, franchise indices show an uptick in new franchise concepts and pent up demand for franchises among buyers....more

After months of negotiations and bargaining surrounding Pennsylvania’s budget, the House and Senate passed major tax code changes Tuesday (in House Bill 465). The bill is now on its way to Governor Corbett’s desk for...more

The FTC’s amended definition of “creditor” within the Red Flags Rule is now in effect.
The definition is narrower in scope, but under it, a franchisor may still qualify as a “creditor.” For instance, if you use a...more

In late February, Senator Jerry Hill introduced a bill, SB 538, to substantially amend the Franchise Investment Law. A few days later, the bill was read for the first time and set for hearing by the Senate Banking and...more

On March 28, 2013, the New York State Legislature passed budget legislation (S.2609D/A.3009D) that replaces the existing New York State and City related - party royalty add - back requirements with provisions based on the...more

The California Small Business Investment Protection Act, Assembly Bill 1141, was recently proposed and makes several changes to California’s current franchise laws, the Franchise Relations Act and the Franchise Investment...more

One of the items that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has increasingly focused on in its enforcement actions is the role of the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) and whether this position has adequate staffing and resources to...more

So who do you think had the better day – the Houston Astros Monday or Wal-Mart Tuesday? Yesterday, the Astros announced the signing of Carlos Pena to be their Designated Hitter (DH) for the 2013 season. Pena’s 2012 average –...more

Remember when a billion dollars was real money? Over the past couple of weeks there have been some mammoth fines paid by financial institutions for conduct, which would appear to fall under the category of “Banks Behaving...more

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